Gerrard is happily married to Alex Curran, of course, the pair having tied the knot back in 2007 - but it is not the only case of celebrity-sport star flirting on social media.

Pop star Lily Allen is famously a huge fan of England cricketer Graham Onions and is not averse to former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff either.

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The 24-year-old Tweeted back in 2009: "I think I fancy Graham Onions more than Freddie now. I've heard he goes for days...either three or five...hehe."

Later she added: "Is Onions married? Anyone?"

Teen tennis sensation Eugenie Bouchard's mutual attraction with Justin Bieber, meanwhile, gained considerable traction on Twitter during the Australian Open in recent weeks. Bouchard revealed in a very awkward post-match interview that she would like to date the musician, before Bieber sent her a simple good luck message for her next match. And so it went.